Air Pollution and Emergency Room Visits Among Young Children
1-page plain-language summary of research conducted by HERCULES scientists Lyndsey Darrow and Paige Tolbert about the relationship between air pollution and respiratory infections among...
The Community Engagement Core
The Community Engagement Core (CEC) collaborates with community partners using an exposome approach to seek environmental justice and improve health in the metro Atlanta area.
Guided by a commitment to anti-racism, we aim to:
Create conversations between the Atlanta community and HERCULES
Increase the capacity of local communities to address their environmental health concerns
Guide and support HERCULES scientists in community engagement
Our Approach
By developing partnerships and building capacity among community members and scientists, the CEC aims to incorporate community concerns into the long-term research efforts of HERCULES investigators.
To achieve these aims, we use the following approaches:
Partnerships
Our work relies on strong partnerships, especially with our Stakeholder Advisory Board. Our Board, which includes local residents, non-profits, and government agencies, guides CEC activities and ensures community concerns about environmental health issues are incorporated into HERCULES. We also support community-engaged research partnerships through the HERUCLES Pilot Program and by recognizing partners for their community engaged work.
Learn about our SAB and partnership work
Community Resources
We create and provide environmental health resources relevant to the local community, including infographics and summaries of environmental health research
Roadshow and Grant Program
We conduct workshops with local communities to share the exposome concept, identify communities’ exposome-related perspectives and concerns and include those perspectives in future exposome science. We then provide grants for communities to address those concerns.
Current and past grant programs
Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR)
We support HERUCLES scientists who are interested in integrating community-engaged approaches into their research, facilitate community-scientist partnerships when appropriate, and prepare future scientists for community-engaged research.
Community Engagement Core Services
Community Engagement Highlights
Read our Community Engagement Core publications here.
- Clarence “Shaheed” Dubois Community Grant Program highlighted in Emory’s Public Health Magazine
- Results of 2013/2014 Mini-Grant “Proctor Creek Watershed Watch: A Photovoice Project” presented at 2015 U.S. EPA Community Involvement Training Conference
- Proctor Creek Coalition January 2015 Meeting Updates
- Clarence “Shaheed” Dubois Community Grant Program
- CEC activities in the news!
- Atlanta Community Forum: Environment, Health and Action
Community Engagement Activities
June 4, 2019
A Community-Engaged Pilot Study Leads to EPA Site Investigation
Emory University’s HERCULES Exposome Research Center funded a community-engaged pilot project investigating urban soil contamination in Atlanta. The study has led to an EPA site investigation and...
Everyday Chemicals in your Exposome: Toxicants in our Homes
The HERCULES Community Engagement Core created an infographic series about everyday chemicals found in our exposomes. This infographic focuses on the common toxicants found in our...
The East Point Environmental Collective
East Point neighbors are concerned about the periodic chemical emissions of toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, penta, and creosote from nearby manufacturing...
Pollen, Asthma, and Emergency Department Visits
The HERCULES Community Engagement Core, in collaboration with the Stakeholder Advisory Board and HERCULES scientists, created the following infographic and 1-page plain-language summary of research...
Proctor Creek Community Health Survey
Research study conducted by Samantha Eiffert and colleagues, including HERCULES scientists Melanie Pearson and Andrea Winquist and community partner Dr. Yomi Noibi, about environmental exposures...
Air Pollution and Birth Outcomes
Research conducted by HERCULES scientists Lyndsey Darrow and Matt Strickland about air pollution and birth...
Pesticides in Residential Soil
Research conducted by HERCULES scientists P. Barry Ryan and Dana Barr about the amount and type of pesticides found in the soil of Atlanta...
The Mixture of Air Pollutants Across Atlanta, GA
Research conducted by John Pearce and HERCULES scientist(s) Paige Tolbert, Stefanie Sarnat, Lance Waller, and Howard Chang about the different mixtures of air pollutants across Atlanta,...